Are You Stressed?

Being an emergency responder comes with a lot of baggage – including the emotional duress of frequent high-stress incidents. Although not an EMT or paramedic, Judi Light Hopson became a subject matter expert on stress in emergency responders through years of research and interviews.

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Hi all! There is a new association in California representing EMS professionals. Even if you are not an EMD, EMR, EMT, AEMT or Paramedic in California, please "Like" this page to support us! CAAEMT Facebook Page

The mission of the California Association of Emergency Medical Technicians is to serve the prehospital EMS care providers of California by presenting networking opportunities, offer continuing education, work with CAAEMT partners to give discounts on services and products, and represent its membership during discussions that will readily affect their practice and protocols.

Hey there- CISM Team Member here. Reading through this board I think everyone has hit on some great points. Jerry the Frog is a great idea for breaking the mood. I think it's every important to inject some humor into the work day. For my partner and I it's fuzzy dice and disco balls.

How are people managing stress when money is less with lay offs/cut backs for spouses.
Family time become more important.
Deciding what you can do without.
How is anyone else coping with family & work?

Mike:
You are so right! When I was younger, I went through a painful divorce. At that time, I didn't understand that I couldn't just say anything I felt like saying--blurting out mean comments to my ex and so forth! Boy, have I learned my hard lessons. I've been remarried for 12 years to a wonderful man, and I try to lavish attention, affection, and appreciation on him. Love doesn't come along that often or that easily!

Since the economy is rocky--and these tough times can certainly hurt a marriage--I decided to post a blog on how NOT to overload your marriage. Wouldn't it be nice if our spouse or significant other could make everything A-okay for us? Well, folks, it won't happen in this lifetime. We have to treat our mates with respect and realize we need support from friends and community. So many emergency responders tell me they've realized way too late that they overloaded their marriage. It's common for emergency responders to verbally unload a lot of work stress on their spouses and eventually cripple those relationships. Read my blog and add your comments. We all struggle with marriage stress from time to time. Anyone who says they have a perfect marriage would automatically be deemed highly unusual by me!

Sam:
Thank you for your posting. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families. The unselfish men and women who comprise our police departments are angels on earth. We need to honor our public safety officers in every way possible--and it's so hurtful to think that some individuals cannot see the honor they deserve.

Please send prayers to the family of 4 Oakland Police Officers that were shot and killed yesterday. Here's the story: -- Sam

Three Oakland police officers were killed and another was clinging to life after two shootings Saturday, the first after a routine traffic stop and the second after a massive manhunt ended in gunfire, authorities said. The gunman, who was wanted on a parole violation, was also killed.

"It's in these moments that words are extraordinarily inadequate," said Mayor Ron Dellums at a somber news conference announcing the slayings. It was the first time in the history of the Oakland Police Department that three officers were killed in the line of duty in the same day.

The violence began when two officers on motorcycles stopped a 1995 Buick sedan in east Oakland just after 1 p.m., Oakland police spokesman Jeff Thomason said. The driver opened fire, killing one officer and gravely wounding another.

The gunman then fled on foot, police said, leading to an intense manhunt by dozens of Oakland police, California Highway Patrol officers and Alameda County sheriff deputies. Streets were roped off and an entire area of east Oakland closed to traffic.

Around 3:30 p.m. officers got an anonymous tip that the gunman was inside a nearby apartment building. A SWAT team entered an apartment to clear and search it when the gunman opened fire, police said. Two members of the SWAT team were killed and a third was grazed by a bullet, police said.

The slain officers were identified as Sgt. Mark Dunakin, 40, who was killed at the first shooting. The officers killed at the second location were Sgt. Ervin Romans, 43, and Sgt. Daniel Sakai, 35. Officer John Hege, 41, was in grave condition.

Reached by telephone late Saturday, Hege's father, Dr. John S. Hege said, "He had an injury to his brain ... and it's not clear he can survive. ... It is a stunning thing to face, although we were always aware of the risks."

Hege, a retired physician from neighboring Piedmont, said his son loved being a policeman. He worked well with people and was an Eagle Scout. He played high school football and wrestled. He umpired and coached even as a youth, and joined the Oakland Police Department reserves.
Photo Essays

* Deadly California Traffic Stop

After graduating from St, Mary's College in Moraga, Calif., he taught high school physical education for a few years in nearby Hayward before joining the police department a decade ago.

As for the slain shooting suspect, the father said, "The man was evidently terribly desperate. It is a sad story..."

Grieving officers at the police station hugged and consoled each other.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was to arrive in Oakland Sunday afternoon for a private meeting with Dellums and police.

"All four officers dedicated their lives to public safety and selflessly worked to protect the people of Oakland," Schwarzenegger said in a statement released Saturday. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those lost, the Oakland Police Department and law enforcement officers throughout California during this difficult time."

Police said Mixon wielded two different weapons. One gun was used at the first scene and an assault rifle was used at the apartment building where he was hiding.

"(Mixon) was on parole and he had a warrant out for his arrest for violating that parole. And he was on parole for assault with a deadly weapon," said Oakland police Deputy Chief Jeffery Israel.

Police said they did not know why the officers initially stopped the suspect, but said it apparently was a routine traffic stop. Thomason said Mixon had an "extensive criminal history" and was wanted on a no-bail warrant.

People lingered at the scene of the first shooting. About 20 bystanders taunted police.

Tension between police and the community has risen steadily since the fatal shooting of unarmed 22-year-old Oscar Grant by a transit police officer at an Oakland train station on Jan. 1.

That former Bay Area Rapid Transit officer, Johannes Mehserle, has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Monday. Violent protests erupted on the streets of Oakland in the weeks after Grant's death, further inflaming tensions.

Officer deaths are nothing new in Oakland. The memorial wall in the Oakland Police headquarters shows that at least 47 officers died before Saturday. The wall shows the last officer killed in Oakland was in January of 1999.

People left four bouquets of white roses under the granite wall inside the building lobby.

The governor's office said Schwarzenegger would fly to Oakland on Sunday from Washington, D.C., to meet with police and Mayor Dellums to "get a firsthand account of what's happening." Both state Attorney General Jerry Brown and Dellums were at Saturday's news conference.

I would like to add to Pippin and Judi's discussion about walking after work as a stress buster. I also find walking in the morning (before work) is a great way to prepare myself for the day. It helps me combat stress before it even happens!